An electrochemical paper-based hydrogel immunosensor to monitor serum cytokine for predicting the severity of COVID-19 patients

Electrochemical biosensor for sensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2 gene fragments using Bi2Se3 topological insulator

In this study, we have designed an electrochemical biosensor based on topological material Bi2Se3 for the sensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2 in the COVID-19 pandemic. Flake-shaped Bi2Se3 was obtained directly from high-quality single crystals using mechanical exfoliation, and the single-stranded DNA was immobilized onto it. Under optimal conditions, the peak current of the differential pulse voltammetry method exhibited a linear relationship with the logarithm of the concentration of target-complementary-stranded DNA, ranging from 1.0 × 10-15 to 1.0 × 10-11 M, with a detection limit of 3.46 × 10-16 M. The topological material Bi2Se3, with Dirac surface states, enhanced the signal-to-interference plus noise ratio of the electrochemical measurements, thereby improving the sensitivity of the sensor. Furthermore, the electrochemical sensor demonstrated excellent specificity in recognizing RNA. It can detect complementary RNA by amplifying and transcribing the initial DNA template, with an initial DNA template concentration ranging from 1.0 × 10-18 to 1.0 × 10-15 M. Furthermore, the sensor also effectively distinguished negative and positive results by detecting splitting-synthetic SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus with a concentration of 1 copy/μL input. Our work underscores the immense potential of the electrochemical sensing platform based on the topological material Bi2Se3 in the detection of pathogens during the rapid spread of acute infectious diseases.

Design of self-healing nanocomposite hydrogels and the application to the detection of human exercise and ascorbic acid in sweat

Hydrogel sensors have broad application prospects in human motion monitoring and sweat composition detection. However, hydrogel-based sensors are faced with challenges such as low accuracy and poor mechanical properties of analytes detection. Based on mussel-inspired chemistry, we synthesized mesoporous silica@polydopamine-Au (MPS@PDA-Au) nanomaterials and designed a self-healing nanocomposite hydrogel to monitor human movement and ascorbic acid detection in sweat. Mesoporous silica (MPS) possess orderly mesoporous structure. Dopamine (DA) polymerized on the surface of MPS to generate polydopamine (PDA), forming the composite material MPS@PDA-Au. This composite was then embedded into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogels through a simple freeze-thaw cycle process. The hydrogels have achieved excellent deformable ability (508.6%), self-healing property (90.5%) and mechanical strength (2.9 MPa). The PVA/MPS@PDA-Au hydrogel sensors had the characteristics of fast response time (123.2 ms), wide strain sensing range (0-500%), excellent fatigue resistance and stability in human detection. The detection range of ascorbic acid (AA) in sweat was wide (8.0 μmol/L-100.0 μmol/L) and the detection limit was low (3.3 μmol/L). Therefore, these hydrogel sensors have outstanding application prospects in human motion monitoring and sweat composition detection.

An origami microfluidic paper device based on core-shell Cu@Cu2S@N-doped carbon hollow nanocubes

BACKGROUD

The global prevalence of diabetes mellitus, a serious chronic disease with fatal consequences for millions annually, is of utmost concern. The development of efficient and simple devices for monitoring glucose levels is of utmost significance in managing diabetes. The advancement of nanotechnology has resulted in the indispensable utilization of advanced nanomaterials in high-performance glucose sensors. Modulating the morphology and intricate composition of transition metals represents a viable approach to exploit their structure/function correlation, thereby achieving optimal electrocatalytic performance of the synthesized catalysts.

RESULTS

Herein, a sensitive and rapid Cu-encapsulated Cu2S@nitrogen-doped carbon (Cu@Cu2S@N-C) hollow nanocubes-functionalized microfluidic paper-based analytical device (μ-PAD) was fabricated. Through a delicate sacrificial template/interface technique and thermal decomposition, inter-connected hollow networks were formed to boost the active sites, and the carbon shell was coated to protect Cu from being oxidation. For application, the constructed μ-PAD is used for glucose sensing utilizing an origami automated sample pretreatment system enabled by a simple application of strong alkaline solution on wax paper. Under optimal circumstances, the Cu@Cu2S@N-C electrochemical biosensor exhibits broad detection range of 2-7500 μM (R2 = 0.996) with low detection limit of 0.16 μM (S/N = 3) and high sensitivity of 1996 μA mM-1 cm-2. Additionally, the constructed μ-PAD also exhibited excellent selectivity, stability, and reproducibility.

SIGNIFICANCE

By rationally designing the double-shell hollow nanostructure and introducing Cu-encapsulated inner layer, the synthesized Cu@Cu2S@N-C hollow nanocubes show large specific surface area, short diffusion channels, and high stability. The proposed origami μ-PAD has been successfully applied to serum samples without any additional sample preparation steps for glucose determination, offering a new perspective for early nonenzymatic glucose diagnosis.

Paper-Based Electrochemical (Bio)Sensors for the Detection of Target Analytes in Liquid, Aerosol, and Solid Samples

The last decade has been incredibly fruitful in proving the multifunctionality of paper for delivering innovative electrochemical (bio)sensors. The paper material exhibits unprecedented versatility to deal with complex liquid matrices and facilitate analytical detection in aerosol and solid phases. Such remarkable capabilities are feasible by exploiting the intrinsic features of paper, including porosity, capillary forces, and its easy modification, which allow for the fine designing of a paper device. In this review, we shed light on the most relevant paper-based electrochemical (bio)sensors published in the literature so far to identify the smart functional roles that paper can play to bridge the gap between academic research and real-world applications in the biomedical, environmental, agrifood, and security fields. Our analysis aims to highlight how paper's multifarious properties can be artfully harnessed for breaking the boundaries of the most classical applications of electrochemical (bio)sensors.

Sensitive electrochemical flow injection analysis of H2O2 released from cells with a pass-through mode

Conventional plate electrodes were commonly used in electrochemical flow injection analysis and only part of molecules diffused to the plane of electrodes could be detected, which would limit the performance of electrochemical detection. In this study, a low-cost native stainless steel wire mesh (SSWM) electrode was integrated into a 3D-printed device for electrochemical flow injection analysis with a pass-through mode, which is different compared with previous flow-through mode. This strategy was applied for sensitive analysis of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) released from cells. Under the optimal conditions (the applied potentials, the flow rate and the sample volume), the device exhibits high sensitivity toward H2O2. Linear relationships could be achieved between electrochemical responses and the concentration of H2O2 ranging from 1 nM to 1 mM. The excellent analytical performance of the SSWM-based device could be attributed to the pass-through mode based on the mesh microstructure and intrinsic catalytic properties for H2O2 by stainless steel. This approach could be further successfully extended for screening of H2O2 released from HeLa cells with electrochemical responses linear to the number of cells in a range of 3 - 1.35 × 104 cells with an injection volume of 30 μL. This study revealed the potential of mesh electrodes in electrochemical flow injection analysis for cellular function and pathology and its possible extension in cell counting and on-line analysis.

Unrevealing the connection between real sample analysis and analytical method. The case of cytokines

Cytokines are compounds that belong to a special class of signaling biomolecules that are responsible for several functions in the human body, being involved in cell growth, inflammatory, and neoplastic processes. Thus, they represent valuable biomarkers for diagnosing and drug therapy monitoring certain medical conditions. Because cytokines are secreted in the human body, they can be detected in both conventional samples, such as blood or urine, but also in samples less used in medical practice such as sweat or saliva. As the importance of cytokines was identified, various analytical methods for their determination in biological fluids were reported. The gold standard in cytokine detection is considered the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method and the most recent ones have been considered and compared in this study. It is known that the conventional methods are accompanied by a few disadvantages that new methods of analysis, especially electrochemical sensors, are trying to overcome. Electrochemical sensors proved to be suited for the elaboration of integrated, portable, and wearable sensing devices, which could also facilitate cytokines determination in medical practice.

Recent advances in point-of-care testing of COVID-19

Advances in microfluidic device miniaturization and system integration contribute to the development of portable, handheld, and smartphone-compatible devices. These advancements in diagnostics have the potential to revolutionize the approach to detect and respond to future pandemics. Accordingly, herein, recent advances in point-of-care testing (POCT) of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) using various microdevices, including lateral flow assay strips, vertical flow assay strips, microfluidic channels, and paper-based microfluidic devices, are reviewed. However, visual determination of the diagnostic results using only microdevices leads to many false-negative results due to the limited detection sensitivities of these devices. Several POCT systems comprising microdevices integrated with portable optical readers have been developed to address this issue. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, effective POCT strategies for COVID-19 based on optical detection methods have been established. They can be categorized into fluorescence, surface-enhanced Raman scattering, surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy, and wearable sensing. We introduced next-generation pandemic sensing methods incorporating artificial intelligence that can be used to meet global health needs in the future. Additionally, we have discussed appropriate responses of various testing devices to emerging infectious diseases and prospective preventive measures for the post-pandemic era. We believe that this review will be helpful for preparing for future infectious disease outbreaks.

Electrochemical Wearable Biosensors and Bioelectronic Devices Based on Hydrogels: Mechanical Properties and Electrochemical Behavior

Hydrogel-based wearable electrochemical biosensors (HWEBs) are emerging biomedical devices that have recently received immense interest. The exceptional properties of HWEBs include excellent biocompatibility with hydrophilic nature, high porosity, tailorable permeability, the capability of reliable and accurate detection of disease biomarkers, suitable device-human interface, facile adjustability, and stimuli responsive to the nanofiller materials. Although the biomimetic three-dimensional hydrogels can immobilize bioreceptors, such as enzymes and aptamers, without any loss in their activities. However, most HWEBs suffer from low mechanical strength and electrical conductivity. Many studies have been performed on emerging electroactive nanofillers, including biomacromolecules, carbon-based materials, and inorganic and organic nanomaterials, to tackle these issues. Non-conductive hydrogels and even conductive hydrogels may be modified by nanofillers, as well as redox species. All these modifications have led to the design and development of efficient nanocomposites as electrochemical biosensors. In this review, both conductive-based and non-conductive-based hydrogels derived from natural and synthetic polymers are systematically reviewed. The main synthesis methods and characterization techniques are addressed. The mechanical properties and electrochemical behavior of HWEBs are discussed in detail. Finally, the prospects and potential applications of HWEBs in biosensing, healthcare monitoring, and clinical diagnostics are highlighted.

Paper-based electrochemical biosensors for the diagnosis of viral diseases

Paper-based electrochemical analytical devices (ePADs) have gained significant interest as promising analytical units in recent years because they can be fabricated in simple ways, are low-cost, portable, and disposable platforms that can be applied in various fields. In this sense, paper-based electrochemical biosensors are attractive analytical devices since they can promote diagnose several diseases and potentially allow decentralized analysis. Electrochemical biosensors are versatile, as the measured signal can be improved by using mainly molecular technologies and nanomaterials to attach biomolecules, resulting in an increase in their sensitivity and selectivity. Additionally, they can be implemented in microfluidic devices that drive and control the flow without external pumping and store reagents, and improve the mass transport of analytes, increasing sensor sensitivity. In this review, we focus on the recent developments in electrochemical paper-based devices for viruses' detection, including COVID-19, Dengue, Zika, Hepatitis, Ebola, AIDS, and Influenza, among others, which have caused impacts on people's health, especially in places with scarce resources. Also, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the main electrode's fabrication methods, device designs, and biomolecule immobilization strategies. Finally, the perspectives and challenges that need to be overcome to further advance paper-based electrochemical biosensors' applications are critically presented.